Tomb Raider King
chapter-222

Translator: miraclerifle

“Although it is difficult to believe that artifacts could be used to fabricate evidence, using Pandora’s appraisal results and the witness testimonies as foundation, we find the defendant, Im Hae Jin, not guilty.”

“In fact, based on the evidence provided by the defense, it is highly likely that the culprit is actually the witness, Steven Patterson.”

“As a result, the witness, Steven Patterson, will be taken into custody while the defendant, Im Hae Jin will be freed.”

...

“Not only did Steven Patterson murder the victim, he intentionally murdered more people in the party hall to hide his crime.”

“In addition, witness Kwon Seung Woo will also be arrested as there is significant concern that he would flee before he can be tried for attempting to cover up a crime and destroy evidence after witnessing a murder.”

“The jury finds it terrible that artifacts that should be used for the good of society were used to frame an innocent man for murder.”

“As a result, all related TKBM employees will be investigated and will be tried by the International Artifact Justice System according to Pandora's laws.”

Some thrilling results were being revealed. All TKBM members in the audience were in disbelief after hearing the decision.

It was because they had just come to watch Dan be sent to his death after framing him for the murder.

But what? TKBM will be investigated for conspiracy to murder? Furthermore, Kwon Seung Woo and Steven, who had come as witnesses, were now the culprits?

In addition, the excavation team’s Vice Captain, Yang Chen, would be questioned as well?

They had blank expressions on their faces. Forget being unbelievable, this was something that should not have happened.

“Please wait a minute, this trial was for the defendant, Im Hae Jin, it has nothing to do with us! So...!”

The judge scoffed at their comment. It was as if he couldn't believe what this terrible bastard was saying.

“That is why all of you will need to respond to the court’s summons once more. This time, you guys will be the defendants.”

“You guys will be properly tried at that time.”

‘Holy shit.’

The officers grabbed the three who were involved with this, as they were afraid that they would make a run for it.

Yang Chen glared at Dan and Ju-Heon with bloodshot eyes as he resisted the officers.

‘Do you really think we would go down on our own?’

They had done all of this to prevent Seo Ju-Heon from doing as he pleased. They didn't know why, but this bastard was someone who kept destroying the things they were trying to create.

He was a troublemaker and their enemy.

That wasn’t all.

‘The Monarch among the monarchs will be able to command all artifacts.’

They could not allow Seo Ju-Heon to become that person no matter what. That was why he quickly pointed to Dan.

“Your honor! That person over there is a fake! Seo Ju-Heon's subordinate helped a convict escape!”

That made the entire courtroom become loud. The fact that a convict on death row had disappeared meant there was a prison break.

Yang Chen had a fishy smile on his face as he continued to shout.

“If we have committed a crime by using an artifact, those bastards have also committed a crime by using an artifact to help a convict escape!”

Yang Chen triumphantly started to smile.

However...

“How the heck is he fake?”

“?”

“It is impossible for a person to create such a perfect clone.”

Yang Chen became frustrated after hearing the officers.

‘Impossible for humans my ass! It’s because you guys have never seen it before!’

“I will show you proof!”

Yang Chen walked over toward Dan, who was sitting down with his hands cuffed.

Julian, who was sitting next to Dan, became anxious. It was because he knew what Yang Chen was trying to do.

Yoo Jaeha's fakes would be revealed if they were attacked.

‘We won’t be safe if it is revealed that this is a fake.’

Julian jumped up from his seat.

But Yang Chen had managed to get away from the officers and grabbed Dan by the collar.

The courtroom turned into pandemonium.

“Hey! What the hell are you doing?!”

“Hurry up and drag him out!”

But Yang Chen started to smile viciously.

“Now we will all go to hell together!”

He punched Dan’s face.

However, at that moment...

“?!”

He did not break even though he was punched in the face. In fact, he now had a bruise on his face.

‘Why didn’t he turn into a sculpture?’

Dan was glaring at Yang Chen as if the punch hurt.

‘Fuck, this shouldn’t be the case.’

Yang Chen channeled his Dominance into the gloves he was wearing.

‘I'll need to give him a stronger shock if that wasn't enough!’

The judges were getting angry.

"What is that bastard trying to do?!”

“Hey, get him! Stop him!”

Yang Chen threw a punch and there was a small explosion.

Bang!

People started to scream. They then gasped.

They couldn't help it because Dan was a bloodied mess on the floor after being punched by Yang Chen.

He looked as if his cheek bone was broken!

There was chaos inside the courtroom.

“What do you think you are doing?!”

“Are you trying to kill the defendant?!”

Yang Chen became anxious.

‘Is he really human?’

But Ju-Heon. Was snickering in the audience. Yang Chen started to shout again as he knew what that snicker implied.

“Your honor! This really is a fake! He’s fake!”

“Nonsense! It’s obvious he is a person!”

“......!”

Yang Chen was about to shout again as he felt wronged.

However...

“You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney.”

Heavy handcuffs were placed on the witnesses.

“What do you think? Did it go over well?”

In the first floor garden outside the hospital...

Yoo Jaeha was speaking to Ju-Heon on the phone with a shaking heart. He was checking to see if the fake Dan in the courtroom was not revealed.

‘I put in more effort than usual so they shouldn't have found out, right?’

He had made it extremely realistic in order to cover the weakness of them being revealed as fake being too easy.

That was why he made it so that it would spurt blood instead of cracking even after receiving impact.

‘Well, it's just an optical illusion so it'll be found out if anybody looks at it closely.’

Ju-Heon started to laugh while Jaeha asked with his ass on fire.

[They didn't find out. Anyway, we’re almost there, where is Dan?]

“Uhh, that mister......”

Yoo Jaeha turned his head.

Dan was currently bawling while hugging his daughter whom they had moved to a different hospital.

“Are you hurt anywhere? Hmm? Are you okay? The bad misters didn’t say anything weird to you, did they?”

The pretty daughter then pointed toward Yoo Jaeha and nonchalantly started to smile.

“That mister told me to go somewhere nice with him! He said I'll be really happy!”

Yoo Jaeha felt murderous intent at that moment.

Maybe that was the reason.

He was shaking in fear as he did not want to be butchered.

“Um, um, um, mister. I believe you might be having the wrong idea...... When I said somewhere nice I didn't mean the kind of places you are thinking of, I simply meant we should go to where you were... I don’t remember saying anything terrible to a little child...... ugh!”

Yoo Jaeha plopped down on the ground after someone hit him on the back of his head.

He then heard a voice.

“You resorted to hitting on a kid now?!”

“C, Captain-nim!”

He turned around to see Ju-Heon there. He had said that they were almost there but they must have been nearby.

“What about the trial?”

“No problem.”

Dan stood up and bowed toward Ju-Heon once he saw him.

It was because he had heard that Ju-Heon was Julian's boss.

“Umm, t......thank you very much! Sir, I don’t know who you are, but thank you for letting me meet my daughter before I die.......”

Dan probably had no idea what just happened in the courtroom. He had been switched out with the fake by Yoo Jaeha prior to the trial.

He probably just saw Ju-Heon as someone who helped him escape from prison. Ju-Heon and Yoo Jaeha had found their way into Dan’s cell and escaped with him after leaving the fake.

He probably never even imagined that he would be found innocent. But he was satisfied with this.

“......My wish to see my daughter’s face one more time before I was executed......! Thank you very much for granting me this request!”

He knew his situation. He needed to be framed and executed for TKBM to pay for his daughter’s surgery.

That was why he knew that he needed to go back to prison now.

“Thank you very much for helping me. But I should probably head back to the prison......”

Yoo Jaeha was about to ask why he was speaking such nonsense.

However, Ju-Heon stopped him and made a call somewhere.

‘Damn it, it can’t go on like this.’

Yang Chen. Kwon Seung Woo. Steven.

The three witnesses were being transported in different police cars right now. No, the three suspects were shaking.

[The true culprit behind the murder in the RI building restroom has been revealed.]

[The true culprit is shockingly Steven Patterson, the son of Mr. Patterson, an extremely influential figure on Wall Street......]

[TKBM’s Director Kwon Seung Woo and TKBM's excavation team Vice Captain Yang Chen have both been arrested for accessory to murder and fabricating evidence by using artifacts......]

[Pandora member George Holten has stated that using artifacts to mess with people’s memories is a violation of human rights and the worst type of crime and they will be tried under Pandora’s laws......]

[The criticism of TKBM and Wall Street will increase because of this incident......]

This issue was blowing up everywhere.

They were shaking in anger as they heard these stories.

‘I went to the courtroom to watch and have some fun so what the hell?!’

They were not the type to easily be arrested like this.

‘Do they think I am crazy? Do they really think I would rot in prison for tens of years?’

‘Our TKBM really will be eaten up by Seo Ju-Heon at this rate.’

‘The Heirlooms will soon appear.’

‘There is still a way to flip all of this around.’

As a result...

“Fuck!”

The first to move was the police car in the front with the culprit, Steven!

Bang!

The police car exploded and the road instantly turned into pandemonium.

He had used an artifact.

He had most of the artifacts confiscated when they did a body search, but the artifact he had hidden away for emergencies was still on him.

It was an explosive artifact that all TKBM members had in their teeth. Although it could only be used once, it was good enough to escape.

Boo boo boom!

“This is an emergency! S, Steven Patterson is running away!”

But the accident didn’t stop there.

Bang! Bang!

The cars with Kwon Seung Woo and Yang Chen blew up as well.

“U, ugh...!”

There were no people around but the bloodied cops were reaching toward the criminals who were getting away.

“Kwon Seung Woo...! Yang Chen, also running...!”

“A, all of the culprits are running......!”

“Those bastards used artifacts to run away...!”

The road turned into pandemonium and the three men who managed to escape were laughing.

They were all artifact users.

‘Did they really think civilians would be able to arrest us?’

Although Kwon Seung Woo could only handle up to C-Grade artifacts, there was still a drastic difference between people who had artifacts and people who didn’t.

About one hour after they escaped... Yang Chen came into a building under construction and started to look for something. He lifted the marble floor off a part of the fourth floor to find his emergency stash of cash.

This money was important to escape his current predicament.

“The Director-nim and Steven should be looking for their hidden artifacts and emergency funds as well.’

TKBM’s excavation team had actually hidden artifacts and money in all major cities. They had prepared these artifacts as reserves because they never knew when someone might steal their artifacts.

‘We need to save these but there’s nothing we can do in our current situation.’

Yang Chen continued to hear Kwon Seung Woo's voice through the phone.

[My subordinate eavesdropped on the police station but it doesn't sound as if Seo Ju-Heon would help with the search. I don’t think we need to worry about that.]

“I expected that to be the case. That bastard’s goal should have been Im Hae Jin. Anyway, Director-nim, please hurry......”

It happened at that moment.

“Hey, did you prepare the money?”

Some people walked into the floor Yang Chen was currently at.

They were wearing black from head to toe. It was a man and a woman in black coats.

They were people with special artifact-related occupations such as restorers, appraisers, and hunters. They were the aftermath clean-up crew that used modification artifacts.

They were Yang Chen’s last resort.

Yang Chen glared at them.

"Are you really able to get rid of everything that happened in the courtroom today?”

“Yeah. We can modify the memories of everybody who was in the courtroom and even get rid of the court records.”

“It won’t be easy, but our captain would be happy to take care of it for you if you give us the right number of artifacts.”

"We need to gather a lot of artifacts to gain an Heirloom.”

As Yang Chen smiled and started to hand over the artifacts...

[Aaah!]

He heard a scream through the still connected call.

"D, Director-nim?”

That wasn’t all.

Bang!

There was a large explosion in the direction Steven should have escaped as well. Something very weird was happening at that location.

Ruuumble, ruuummble!

There were thunderbolts even though the sky was clear.

Thunderbolts were ruthlessly falling in the middle of New York City!

Bang! Bababang! Bang!

“H, holy crap.”

‘Is that perhaps?’

Even the man and woman from the aftermath clean-up crew were anxious.

“What the, is that perhaps the Monarch of Strategies?”

“Fuck, you didn’t mention this...”

The man and woman coughed up blood and fell over at that moment.

Yang Chen didn’t know why. What he could see was that the building they were in was starting to crack.

A flustered Yang Chen quickly gathered the stuff and tried to run.

Grab!

But someone grabbed both of Yang Chen's shoulders.