Chapter 81: #27 Ten Evils - The Butcher (4)
A convenience store tucked away in a forgotten corner where hardly anyone ever passed through. The bell above the door jingled lightly.
"Welcome."
The greeting flew out on reflex, but the part-timer's eyes stayed glued to the thick stack of certification exam prep books.
"You should at least look people in the face when you greet them."
Fuck, another damn boomer, the part-timer thought, lifting his head. His face froze solid. The guy standing there looked seriously off.
To be honest, the man didn't fit into modern civilized society at all. His half-naked body and face were smeared with something dark and red, his messy hair matted with it, and in his hand was a sword radiating an ominous aura.
But one thing was crystal clear.
This guy looked extremely dangerous.
"Uh..."
Before he could get another word out, Park Sang-pyeon's sword cleaved the part-timer's body in two. No scream even escaped the dying man's lips. The life of a young man diligently grinding away for his future snuffed out just like that, but Park Sang-pyeon's face showed not a flicker of guilt.
Glancing around the store, Park Sang-pyeon snatched a loaf of bread from the display, tore open the packaging, and chomped into a cream bun. He shuffled to the drink cooler next, grabbing whatever caught his eye. Anything left half-eaten got tossed carelessly behind him.
The once-neatly organized store turned into a total pigsty in seconds.
And yet, no one showed up, even as Park Sang-pyeon trashed the place.
Not even an alarm went off.
"What the hell."
This wasn't part of Park Sang-pyeon's plan.
He figured if he kicked up enough chaos, someone would show, scream their head off, he'd kill them, keep killing and killing until rumors spread that the Butcher was on the loose. Then Beltsmets would come rushing here.
He'd even picked a spot perfect for a fight—deserted enough. But too deserted, and this was the problem.
Fine. If no one came, he'd drag them in.
Stepping out, Park Sang-pyeon grabbed a car from the parking lot and hurled it onto the highway like a toy.
Screeech! A car that couldn't swerve in time slammed to a halt, triggering a massive pileup.
The peaceful road devolved into chaos in an instant. People freaked out at this disaster crashing into their lives.
That's when a yellow bus caught Park Sang-pyeon's eye.
"Oh, this'll be fun."
He sauntered toward it. The yellow van tried to reverse away in a panic, but cars blocking behind trapped it.
Step by step. Park Sang-pyeon planted himself in front of the van and said,
"Hey there, kiddos."
The news that the Butcher had taken over a gas station and the highway spread nationwide like wildfire. There were CCTV cameras nearby, and plenty of survivors who'd escaped the highway. Within 30 minutes, everyone in the country knew.
Helicopters buzzed overhead, nearby military and police units rushed in. But the problem? No one strong enough to take on the Butcher.
The government announced they'd notify guilds and request cooperation, but negotiations took time.
Park Sang-pyeon paid little mind to the gathering crowds. If anyone got too close, he just slashed out with sword energy.
Sword energy might sound minor, but it was the kind that incinerated your whole body on contact—an absolute annihilation blade.
Watching a chopper too close explode mid-air, the Defense Ministry hurriedly pulled back their forces.
They wanted to launch missiles, but with potential hostages still trapped nearby, they held off.
And all this reached me too.
I squinted at the live news feed.
"Hm. This isn't what I expected."
I'd considered he might ignore my invitation, but pulling this? Was my attempt to minimize casualties backfiring into something worse?
"Boss, that guy's more hot-headed than we thought."
Han Seohyun glanced at me cautiously as he spoke.
"What now?"
"We go."
"There?"
His voice dripped with dread.
"If we show up, it'll be a shitshow. You can see it from the news. Military, police, even calling in nearby hunters."
"If we don't go, he'll bail when it's convenient and pull this crap over and over."
And civilian casualties would snowball each time.
"See that yellow bus?"
Han Seohyun's face twisted. He knew exactly what it was.
Park Sang-pyeon had hostages. Kindergarten kids on a field trip to the nearby amusement park.
The military and police couldn't move because of them. Whether he'd grabbed them on purpose or just happened to, innocent kids were in the Butcher's clutches.
"If we don't go, those kids die."
Han Seohyun clenched his fists.
"I know."
"Then why say we shouldn't?"
"Ugh! But... if we go and don't come back..."
It wasn't my mess, but someone shit the bed, so someone had to clean it up.
━Crude metaphor.
'Fits the filthy bastard we're dealing with, doesn't it?'
It would've been nice if he'd shown up nicely to our invite, but now? No backing out.
Problem was, the site was a solid four-hour drive from here.
Damn, and unfortunately, we had no fast transport.
I could dash using mana and cut the time, but I'd be wiped before the fight even started.
And unlike me with plenty of mana, Kim Jae-ho and Han Seohyun couldn't pull that off.
The real worry? Whether the Butcher's temper would hold for four hours.
Telling him "on our way, wait four hours" via dark web felt too lame.
But we couldn't just sit this out.
"Seohyun, time to send our teleport boy."
That ill-mannered guy deserved a letter delivery.
The Butcher narrowed his eyes. He'd swatted every nosy flyer buzzing around, so nothing dared approach now. Not that it mattered—he'd just rip apart one of the brats he'd stashed if they did.
But Beltsmets still hadn't shown. Scaredy-cat?
"Fuckin' hell, how long am I supposed to wait?"
Park Sang-pyeon's patience was notoriously short. Holding out this long was a miracle.
He wanted to wrap this up here too. But Beltsmets wasn't biting, and the sniffling from the yellow bus grated on him.
Then a black crow appeared before him. He almost sliced it instinctively, but something tied to its leg caught his eye.
The crow flew straight to him.
Confirming the letter on its leg, Park Sang-pyeon grinned wickedly. The message inside pleased him greatly.
"Wait there.
I'll gladly join the mess you've made.
You won't run off scared of the government's dogs, will you?"
Park Sang-pyeon flashed a toothy smile.
"Perfect. Hurry up and come."
Do Chae-hee whipped her car toward the scene the moment she heard. Calling Park Cheol-wan, she raised her voice.
"Get everyone nearby to converge there."
[All available forces are already heading in. The issue is the hostages.]
The Butcher Park Sang-pyeon had killed the school bus driver. But one kid had a phone and called home sobbing. The news hit the media instantly.
[Hostages are still unharmed. Don't provoke the Butcher.]
"Even if we don't, if Beltsmets doesn't show, we're screwed."
All the Butcher wanted was one thing.
A showdown with Beltsmets.
Watching him stare beyond the highway like he was waiting for something, then blasting sword energy into the sky in frustration—it didn't look like anything else.
"Will Beltsmets come here?"
If not, those hostages' lives weren't guaranteed. They'd rush in if the kids died, but the forces here couldn't take the Butcher.
The kids would just die for nothing.
[If I were them, no way I'd come. They already set a time and place for the Butcher. Showing up here? Looks like they've lost already.]
Villains took pride wars seriously.
Beltsmets dictating the venue was part of that. Butcher rejecting it and setting up here instead.
A battle of egos over who picked the time and place.
"So they won't come."
[We'll see. Would be nice if they did. But no early entry, absolutely.]
Government orders were out: Observe from afar.
With hostages, no rash moves.
Rescue ops were a pipe dream. The Butcher's senses were razor-sharp from years of killing. He detected presences better than anyone.
He'd just sliced up a stealth rescue team trying to extract hostages.
Sending more was just more bodies.
No entry permitted. Gakbeombu waited 2km out per orders.
Arriving on site, Do Chae-hee scowled.
"Control the crowds."
People pressed right up against the containment line.
"Traffic control from here! Turn around."
"Go another way. You there! Stay back."
Police shouts fell on deaf ears—not just a few ignoring them.
"My kid's in there!"
"What the hell are the cops doing?!"
It was noisier than a marketplace. Reporters swarmed for the scoop too.
And vehicles still pouring in toward the scene.
Do Chae-hee spotted a yellow van shoving through the line, her eyes narrowing.
"What's with that bus."
Right, amusement park nearby. A kindergarten bus heading there amid this chaos? Unbelievable.
As she grabbed her radio to report the bus, its movement turned suspicious. While others slowed, the yellow bus accelerated.
Do Chae-hee's eyes widened.
Come to think of it, that bus...
Too darkly tinted for a kid-hauler?
"Wait!"
Sensing trouble, she shoved through the crowd, shouting.
But the yellow bus was already at full throttle. People near the entry road flew aside like they'd been shoved.
The final containment line. Barricades.
No way it jumps those.
But mocking her thoughts, the yellow van smashed straight through the barricades.
And broke free.
"What the—"
Then it rocketed away.
Toward the Butcher.