#20 Silver Moon Society (2)
The day after tomorrow. I sped along in the van packed full of kids. We'd disguised it as a kindergarten shuttle bus, and all the children were dressed in kindergarten uniforms.
"This is my first time wearing something like this."
The kids chirped away like chicks in their yellow group outfits.
"Aren't they just the cutest?"
Han Seohyun was grinning ear to ear in a way that was totally out of character for him. Even to my eyes, the kids looked adorable with their little yellow hats pulled on snugly.
But as if that beaming smile had been a lie, Han Seohyun's face fell in an instant.
"Do we really have to send them away?"
"Yeah."
My mind hadn't changed. To be honest, I'd grown pretty attached to these kids over the past few days. How could I not? They were so bright and cheerful, as if they couldn't even remember the horrors they'd endured.
Even though I'd tried not to get emotionally involved, they clung to me anyway, showering me with affection and gratitude until my defenses crumbled.
They really were good kids.
Which is exactly why I have to let them go.
I clamped my mouth shut and focused on driving. We pulled up at Incheon Wolmido.
Baek Dosan and his men were there to greet us. The kids froze solid when they saw the hulking figures in suits stepping out of their cars.
"These the kids?"
"Yeah. Did you have to stand there like that, though? You're scaring my crew."
"Sorry about that. We thought we were dressing sharp."
I clicked my tongue at Baek Dosan's words.
While I was away on this China trip, we'd decided to leave the kids in their care—no other choice. At Baek Dosan's signal, one of his men stepped forward toward the children. The kids freaked out at the sight of the buzz-cut brute approaching.
"Uncle!"
Their eyes calling out to me were filled with fear.
"Don't worry. While we're handling business in China, these uncles here will take good care of you."
"Eeeek."
The kids recoiled in disgust, and the buzz-cut guy looked equally hurt.
"You're hurting my guy's feelings too, y'know."
I shrugged at Baek Dosan's comment.
"If anything happens to these kids..."
"Got it. We're thugs, but not that kind of thugs."
Yeah, I believed that. Baek Dosan was definitely a villain, but the pre-corruption version—the one before Seol Rokjin—never laid a hand on kids.
"If anything comes up, tell him."
Han Seohyun handed a mouse doll to Ilho. I nodded at the sight. If anything happened to the kids, war or no war, I'd come straight back here.
"Be good."
"H-Have a safe trip!"
The kids shouted in unison, and I smiled as I headed toward Baek Dosan. Han Seohyun, who looked like his feet were glued to the ground, followed reluctantly.
Baek Dosan tilted his head at the sight of the three of us.
"This all of you?"
"For now, yeah."
I'd share intel, but not everything.
"Don't recognize the other two..."
"Their skills are solid. No need to doubt."
Baek Dosan nodded at my assurance. We were taking a boat to China. I had a fake ID courtesy of Geum Doctor from before, but Kim Jaeho and Han Seohyun's documents weren't solid enough for a plane.
Before boarding, I flipped on my mask. Unlike me—disguised as some random thirty-something—Han Seohyun and Kim Jaeho went bare-faced. I'd offered disguises, but they shrugged it off.
And the boat we ended up on? Well...
"Urgh."
Kim Jaeho, with his heightened senses, looked miserable at first but adapted quick as always.
I'd never gotten seasick myself. The problem was Han Seohyun.
"Bleurgh!"
That made twelve times already.
"Someone knock me out, please."
"Want me to?"
"N-No! Jaeho hyung!"
Hiding from Kim Jaeho in the corner, Han Seohyun passed out cold. When we finally got off the boat, his face was ghostly pale, like death warmed over.
We headed straight to our lodgings in China. And that's when the unfamiliar presences started circling us.
I wasn't the only one who sensed them—Kim Jaeho's eyes sharpened. Perched on the windowsill, he kept craning his neck outside, clearly on edge.
"Don't go too far. Leave those guys alone."
Kim Jaeho vanished in a whoosh before I even finished.
> Did you send him?
No. He's the type who hates being cooped up, so I figured he'd head out around now.
"I'm dying."
Han Seohyun collapsed onto the bed, and four mouse dolls that had been playing dead in his pocket started scurrying out.
"Why not just rest?"
"They don't take much effort to move anyway."
He'd brought all but the one he'd left with Ilho back in Korea—just in case.
At Han Seohyun's gesture, the mouse dolls scattered in all directions.
"Don't push yourself too hard..."
I said that to him, but there was no reply. He'd already passed out.
I had my own work to do in the meantime.
I glared at the system window.
Mana Circuit Expansion
Utilizes mana circuits to convert one's mana into any form.
The system only gave the bare-bones concept. How to apply and utilize it was up to the awakener.
I'd acquired the Mana Circuit Expansion skill when I absorbed Ray, flooding my body with countless mana circuits.
But I could only access a fraction of them. Hell, I hadn't even mapped out all the circuits in my body yet.
I'd just memorized the ones I used often—hadn't properly explored them.
Ray said I could only handle up to two strokes.
Talents needing three or more? Impossible to activate.
Like Super Regeneration, which fully heals even damaged tissue cells.
That one kicked in at four strokes—enough to reattach severed limbs—and required at least three to use.
Either way, to tap all these circuits, I needed to increase my stroke limit.
And what determined that limit? My brainpower—computing power and mental fortitude, precisely.
"Nngh."
I was pushing to activate more strokes at once. But no matter how hard I tried, two was the cap.
Not easy, huh.
> That's your limit.
Not trying to discourage me—it really was my limit. Two strokes. Despite all these circuits, I could only use two-stroke talents.
Because the circuits in my body had B-grade potential.
But the passive was S-grade.
> Different category.
Tch.
What if it'd gone to Kim Jaeho or Han Seohyun?
Bitter taste in my mouth.
> But naturals might not dig as deep as you.
Ray—praising me, uncharacteristically.
Yeah, fair point. No one obsesses over talents like I do.
The original owner, Park Seun, had only ever used one at a time too.
He might've mixed unconsciously, but never deliberately.
Fixed mindset.
Combo talents were rare—no one thought to mix.
But I was different.
Even limited to two strokes, that's two talents at once.
Two could make insane combos.
Water and lightning?
Huge synergy.
Wind and fire?
> Head spinning yet?
Low firepower? Overcome with synergy.
If I could hit three strokes, I could channel everything through the mana bracelet's output.
No wonder I obsessed over training.
If I can just reach three strokes...
My thoughts cut off.
A faint groan from Han Seohyun on the bed.
"Sorry... hyung, sorry."
Made sense, thinking about it. He'd seen his brother die horribly up close. And he'd even turned that precious brother into a summon out of sheer vengeance.
Just because he looked fine on the outside didn't mean he was.
But carrying that burden was on him.
I knew—I'd shouldered others' blood debts too.
All I could do was prop him up if he started to fall.
Listening to his tearful sleep-talk, I sat on the floor refining my mana till dawn.
Kim Jaeho returned just before sunrise, reeking of wind. Who knew where he'd roamed.
"Don't wander too far. This ain't our turf."
"No danger."
"Nothing can hurt you, sure. But still, not our territory."
Not fully convinced, but whatever.
"Hungry."
"Yeah, breakfast time."
"Ugh... Jaeho hyung back?"
Our voices woke Han Seohyun. Still rough around the edges, but better than yesterday. No clue about his sleep-talking.
No need to tell him.
We filled up on hotel breakfast. Meanwhile, Han Seohyun checked his mouse dolls.
He whispered to match my volume.
"Ten watchers. Not sure if awakeners, but they're no slouches—fast. Pulled an all-nighter on us."
"Hm. High expectations, huh."
> Or the opposite. Shady bunch—probably babysitting us. Latter seems likely.
Rash judgment was bad, but they didn't seem fans.
After breakfast, we rode with Baek Dosan for a long haul.
We arrived at a hotel towering so high it nearly scraped the sky.
The car door opened before we could touch it.
A woman in a sharp suit stood there. Hair pulled back flawlessly, eyes like daggers.
"Hello?"
No response to Han Seohyun's greeting. He pouted and hid behind me.
She led us to an upper-floor hotel restaurant—rented out, no other guests.
One man already sat at our table.
Blue cheongsam embroidered with luxurious patterns, long hair tied back. Had to be Silver Moon Society boss Jang Liuwian—Jang Liuwian in their terms.
His sharp, withered-tree jawline and the overwhelming pressure from his eyes screamed authority. Bet that cheongsam hid a lean, battle-hardened frame. True charisma befitting a violent org's head.
Delicious food already covered the table.
Kim Jaeho beside me gulped audibly.
The woman who'd guided us whispered to Jang Liuwian from behind.
She was an awakener.
A damn strong one.
> Personal bodyguard.
Baek Dosan greeted Jang Liuwian before sitting.
And you?
Sit comfortably with your friends. Guests who came all this way for a good talk, right?
Short exchange over, Baek Dosan turned to me.
"Says to sit easy."
"Thanks."
I sat and met Jang Liuwian's gaze.
Looks ordinary. Unexpected. Your intro, so I'll trust for now.
"Anyway, introductions. This is Silver Moon Society boss Jang Liuwian. And this is..."
I cut off Baek Dosan.
Ah, I spoke Chinese. Seol Rokjin had put me in charge of China ops back then.
Triad liaison was my gig.