"Use a bait."

"Bait?"

Chae YeonJoo tilted her head.

"What are you talking about?"

"You heard that they're looking for people with high-ranking attributes, right?"

The masked man had said in the video, 'As expected from a major Guild. Most of the offerings were players with a B-rank attribute or higher.'

That meant they were looking only for players with high-ranking attributes.

If this weren't the case, they wouldn't have praised them using the word 'as expected' while talking about receiving players with a B-rank attribute or higher as offerings.

"Yes, I know that."

Chae YeonJoo nodded with a heavy expression.

She knew better than anyone that they were looking for players with high-ranking attributes.

"They're probably targeting low-level players."

"Low-level players?"

"To be more precise, low-level players that have a high-ranking attribute."

"Aah...!"

Chae YeonJoo nodded while exclaiming.

Normally, if you obtained a high-ranking attribute while your level was low, you had a better chance of obtaining an even higher-ranking one.

But most players with a high level and attributes were often related to other parties and guilds.

They needed to act as discreetly as possible, so there would be no way they would target someone whose level was high.

"I agree. Recently, the number of chaos players around the gates has increased. There has been an increase in kidnappings, too."

After hearing their explanations, Baek HwaYeon nodded while making a heavy expression.

The first time shed met with KangWoo was when she was investigating some incidents that had happened in low-ranking gates.

"That's why we need to spread a rumor. Say that an incredibly talented new player has appeared in a low-ranking gate," KangWoo calmly said.

"If we say that it's someone with an S-rank attribute or higher... They'll probably take the bait."

"Hmm..."

Baek HwaYeon gulped after hearing KangWoo's words. She spoke with a worrying voice.

"But if rumors start to run wild and other people start noticing that player, won't they give up on the hunting?"

"No. That probably won't happen."

"Why do you think that...?" Baek HwaYeon asked while making a confused expression.

"That's because fire fell on their feet."

"Fire fell on their feet?"

"They've now realized that there was a spy among them. This means there's a chance that information about the summoning has been leaked out."

"Then, won't they try to move even more discreetly?"

KangWoo shook his head at her question.

"They'll probably go for a home run."

"Go for a home run...?"

"Ms. Baek HwaYeon, what would you do right now to block the offering hunting?"

"Hmm... If it were me, I'd order all the Squad members to look out for the players with a B-rank attribute or higher."

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"That's the normal way to respond."

Since they were targeting low-level players with a high-ranking attribute, that was the most logical way to respond to that situation.

"Then, from their point of view, they need to be very careful before hunting a player with a B-rank attribute or higher. Because you never know who will be looking out from where."

"Yes."

"That's why they're probably going to target an S-rank attribute player rather than a B-rank one."

"..."

* * *

Baek HwaYeon had her mouth shut.

Just like he said, if they knew that there was a chance that someone was looking out for the B-rank players, rather than using someone with an average ranking like B, they would probably try to get the bigger prize, an S-rank player.

But

"Isn't there a chance that they'll slow down their plan and hunt for players with a low-ranking attribute more safely?" Baek HwaYeon asked him with a serious expression.

KangWoo smiled at her question.

"No. Maybe they'll try to hurry things, but slowing down their plans won't happen."

"Why do you think that...?"

"Because they're human."

"...?"

Baek HwaYeon looked at KangWoo while making a confused expression.

KangWoo kept talking with a calm voice.

"They said that if they successfully manage to complete the summoning, they would receive bigger support from the Cult."

"Wouldn't that be dumb? Would they take such a huge risk for a reward in front of them?"

"Yes."

"Why do you t"

"Because that's how every person thinks."

"..."

Baek HwaYeon had her mouth closed at his firm answer.

KangWoo smiled after seeing her reaction.

"Have you heard the story of the marshmallow?"

"Yes..."

Baek HwaYeon nodded while making a heavy expression.

A book that had a simple message that if you could resist the temptation that's in front of you, you'd be able to get a bigger reward.

"Do you know why that book became a best-seller?"

"Isn't that because it's the most basic thing about succeeding?"

"No. That book became a best-seller because most people aren't like that."

"..."

Resist the temptation that's right in front of you

It may sound simple.

From a third-person point of view, those who failed because they couldn't resist temptation looked stupid and pathetic.

But most people would also make that same stupid mistake if faced with such a situation by chance.

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They know that the temptation in front of them is dangerous

They also know that, by resisting, they can get a bigger reward.

But even so, people can't resist the delicious-smelling marshmallow in front of them.

That isn't because they're irrational or stupid

That's because the mechanisms that control your desire are designed to work like that.

'Of course, it isn't like there isn't anyone who can't control those desires.'

KangWoo's eyes shone sharply.

Just like KangWoo said, it wasn't like there wasn't anyone who could resist those temptations.

But the man wearing the red mask wasn't one of those, at least.

'Because he accepted demonic energy into his body.'

The body of the people that accept demonic energy started to become closer to a demon.

And the body of a demon always craves to fulfill its lust.

Even for someone like KangWoo, who had lived a long time as a demon, it was hard to control his lust sometimes.

He didn't think that even he could completely control his lust and desires.

"Then, who are you planning to use as bait?" Chae YeonJoo asked.

"Low-ranking players with an S-rank attribute or higher are probably already receiving lots of attention. Or there's a chance that they're part of a big guild. Don't tell me you're trying to use yourself as bait?"

"No. I'm already known as the rookie receiving the support of Red Rose Guild, so that'll be hard."

"Then, are you planning to tell a lie?"

"No. They'd easily figure out that's bait if we did that."

"..."

Chae YeonJoo had her mouth shut after hearing KangWoo's answer. She finally opened her mouth while frowning.

"Then, who are you planning to use as bait?"

"There's someone I have in mind," KangWoo answered while smiling.

A low-level player whose attribute was higher than S.

Someone who wasnt part of any big guild. Not only that, but someone who wasnt very well known at the moment.

KangWoo knew someone like that.

'Kim ShiHoon.'

He was a human with such a talent that KangWoo had turned him into his familiar spirit as fast as possible.

He was so talented that he got SSS on his first Awakening instead of S.

'He's probably bait that will be hard for them to resist.'

KangWoo's eyes shone sharply while thinking about the red-masked man.

* * *

A week after the spy incident

After accepting KangWoo's proposal, Chae YeonJoo and Baek HwaYeon discretely spread rumors about Kim ShiHoon.

It wasn't like his name appeared on the news or anything.

Rumors about Kim ShiHoon started to spread from low-level players.

'The repercussions are greater than I thought, KangWoo said while checking out social media.

There, he saw a post that said there was a rumor that a low-ranking player who had hidden his attribute had been active in low-ranking gates.

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A thread that didn't grab that much attention but was fun enough to be commented on by other people.

He wasn't sure if it was Chae YeonJoo or Baek HwaYeon's ability to spread rumors, but it spread faster than KangWoo thought possible.

'Neither of them seemed talented for things like this.'

Baek HwaYeon, who felt like a general, and Chae YeonJoo, who had a fire-like personality, didn't look talented in information manipulation.

'The one who I think would be good at things like this...'

He thought of someone he'd frequently seen in the Red Rose Guild.

A gentle-looking young man.

The Red Rose Guild's Human Resources Management Team Leader, Park HyunWoo.

'Well, I guess it doesn't matter who did it as long as the result is good.'

KangWoo picked up the telephone and put it in his pocket.

He stretched out his arms and turned his head to the shabby basement apartment window on the other side of the road.

Through the window, he saw Kim ShiHoon, who was taking care of a middle-aged woman.

"It seems like his house is struggling more than Seol-ah's."

KangWoo mumbled in a low voice while looking at Kim ShiHoon.

One week after the bait plan began

KangWoo hadn't returned to his house and had been watching over Kim ShiHoon for 24 hours.

After all, he never knew when the Demon Cult would attack.

'I can't afford to lose Kim ShiHoon.'

He had decided to use him as bait, but he had no intentions of putting him in real danger.

Kim ShiHoon didn't know it, but he was a familiar spirit whose soul was tied to him.

KangWoo had no intention of losing someone as talented as Kim ShiHoon for something like that.

'Since I've turned him into a familiar spirit, I should take care of him.'

If Kim ShiHoon discovered the truth, he would probably shout, saying don't be a hypocrite, but he wasn't thinking about taking responsibility out of guilt.

'You're going to become big.'

KangWoo looked at Kim ShiHoon, who was taking care of a middle-aged woman with a sad expression on his face.

He was going to become stronger and greater in the future, and he would become KangWoo's solid supporter.

In that sense, spreading rumors about him was just accelerating the things that would eventually happen.

Click-

"Mother, then I'll be going."

Kim ShiHoon, who had been taking care of his mother, opened the basement apartment door and walked out.

He had left to hunt with Seol-ah and TaeSoo to hunt in a gate as usual.

"Oof."

Kim ShiHoon sighed while making a grim expression.

He seemed lost in his thoughts for a while. His eyes were red, but as if trying to improve his mood, he shouted to himself.

"I should stay strong! A little bit more and I'll be able to pay out the debt!" Kim ShiHoon said while touching the sword he had on his waist.

KangWoo laughed in disbelief.

'He was even born in a poor family.'

It was a common setup in fantasy novelsone who was born into an extremely poor family and became a player to support it.

lghtnvlubm fr th bt nvl rdng rn

'Is he really the protagonist?' KangWoo asked himself while following Kim ShiHoon from behind.