Chapter 25: The Jailbreaker (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 25: The Jailbreaker (2)
[Saram123: Seo Dong-woo.]
I hadn't sent the whisper with a concrete plan in mind.
My blood simply boiled at the sight of the bastard who had nearly killed my father acting so brazenly. It was an impulse, and for a moment, I thought I’d done something pointless.
“...!”
A reply came back instantly.
[So-young: Is it really you?]
[So-young: You’re the first person to clear a Nightmare, right? It’s gotta be you.]
What should I do?
A thousand thoughts raced through my head. I suppressed the urge to hurl a string of curses and forced myself to stay calm.
[Saram123: It’s me.]
[So-young: Holy shit.]
[Saram123: Are you really Seo Dong-woo?]
[So-young: Of course I am.]
[So-young: You want to talk? Why’d you whisper me?]
[Saram123: Korea is in an uproar because of you. I’m interested in what you’re doing.]
There was no point in showing hostility right now. I decided to play the part of an interested party. Maybe I could dig up some information.
[So-young: Wait a sec.]
[So-young: Are you actually Korean?]
[Saram123: Maybe.]
[So-young: Wow, that’s insane. The first Nightmare Clearer was actually Korean?]
[Saram123: What’s your plan? Are you just going to keep running?]
[So-young: Hmm~ I wonder. Should I tell you?]
[So-young: You’re not working for the government, are you? Like, setting a trap to catch me?]
[Saram123: I’m an unregistered climber, just like you.]
[Saram123: I’m in a position where I have to hide the fact that I’m a climber, too.]
[So-young: But why hide being a Nightmare Clearer? That’s a huge deal.]
I thought for a moment before replying.
[Saram123: I don’t want the government having leverage over me.]
[Saram123: Besides, I agree with what you said. Climbers should rule the world.]
[So-young: Really? You’re on that side too?]
[So-young: Hahaha, man, it’s good to meet you.]
[So-young: Right? I knew someone like you would understand. There’s no reason for us to live like sheep when we have this kind of power.]
[Saram123: Exactly. That’s why I’m interested in you. You’re doing what no one else dared to do.]
[Saram123: So, what’s next? You must have more planned.]
[So-young: Of course I do! Too much, actually.]
[So-young: How should I have fun next? Should I go on a real rampage somewhere crowded?]
[So-young: Or maybe take over a building and start a hostage situation? I’ve always wanted to try that.]
...This crazy son of a bitch.
What the hell was I supposed to do with him?
[So-young: Hey, why don’t we meet up and talk in person? What do you think?]
[So-young: I’m dying to know what kind of person the first Nightmare Clearer is.]
[So-young: I’m pretty interested in you, too. I read all your posts. They were incredible. How the hell did you clear those floors?]
Seo Dong-woo suddenly made an absurd suggestion. A guy who had just broken out of prison and was a wanted fugitive was asking for a meeting? He definitely wasn't sane.
[Saram123: Sure, why not?]
But I had no reason to refuse. As I stared at the communication window with cold eyes, Seo Dong-woo sent a location.
An abandoned school in Incheon.
[So-young: I can trust that we’re friends now, right? Don’t go bringing a whole crowd of people with you.]
“Don’t worry.”
I’ll be coming alone.
I searched for the location of the abandoned school on my phone’s map.
[Saram123: By the way, what level are you? You seem pretty high.]
[So-young: Curious?]
[Saram123: If your level is too high, it’s a bit intimidating for me to meet you.]
[So-young: Is it? I’ll just tell you I’m in my 20s. The exact number is a secret~]
I closed the communication window and immediately left the house.
I knew I wasn't being rational. What was I going to do when I got there? Fight him? What if he was stronger than I thought? My father was alive, though he was badly injured. I could just think of it as being bitten by a rabid beast and let it go.
I was about to do something reckless, driven by the raw emotions of the moment.
...Fuck it, I still can't let this go. Not until I break every single bone in that bastard's body.
And it wasn't just for personal reasons. If I left a guy like him alone, there was no telling what kind of chaos he’d cause next. More people would die or get hurt. Even if just to prevent further victims, Seo Dong-woo couldn't be left to his own devices.
I hailed a late-night taxi and headed toward the meeting place.
* * *
Kang Ju-hyuk was rushing toward the metropolitan area after receiving a report. After three days of no progress in the search, Seo Dong-woo had suddenly surfaced in Seoul.
“How could they lose track of him like this...” he muttered anxiously while waiting for the light to change.
The police were supposedly tracking his route, but Kang Ju-hyuk was uneasy. Unless a SWAT team surrounded him and opened fire all at once, a climber like him would be hard to catch.
The members of the Climbing Surveillance Department were all moving as fast as they could, but the only one in the department who could actually stand a chance against Seo Dong-woo was likely Shin Su-jin.
“Why isn't the Team Leader picking up? This is driving me crazy.”
But Shin Su-jin was unreachable. Not by phone, and not through the communication window. They needed to move immediately before they lost him again. It wasn't like her to be unreachable just because it was early morning.
As soon as the light turned green, Kang Ju-hyuk slammed on the accelerator.
* * *
[So-young: Puhaha! You’re that guy’s daughter? Seriously? This is like fate or something.]
[So-young: Want to know where I am? Should I tell you? Or not?]
[So-young: Okay, okay. If you want to see me that badly, come find me.]
[So-young: But it’s a secret from everyone else, okay? If you don’t come alone, I’m out of here~]
The sun was slowly beginning to rise.
Shin Su-jin ignored all the calls looking for her and arrived at her destination alone: an abandoned school in Incheon. She climbed over the wall and stepped inside.
She crossed the playground and entered the old gymnasium. There, in the middle of the hall, a man was lying down with his legs crossed.
“Oh, you’re here?”
Seo Dong-woo stretched and sat up. Shin Su-jin’s eyes were filled with murderous intent as she glared at him.
“What’s that name?” Shin Su-jin asked bluntly.
Seo Dong-woo tilted his head innocently. “Huh? What was that?”
“Your nickname on the communication window... what is it?”
Seo Dong-woo burst out laughing. “Ah~ So-young? This?”
“...”
“Doesn’t it sound familiar? It’s your mother’s name.”
Blood seeped from Shin Su-jin’s tightly clenched fists.
Ten years ago, when she was in middle school, a robber had broken into their home. That monster had killed her father first as he resisted right in front of them, and then he moved on to her mother.
Shin Su-jin had frozen, unable to do anything as her mother begged for their lives. And in the end, the monster killed her mother too. Even as she was stabbed to death, her mother hadn't made a single sound.
“Remember that? Your mom... I told her I’d kill you first if she made a sound, and she didn't let out even the tiniest whimper. It was impressive~ That’s why you’re alive today, right? Pain isn't usually something you can control with just willpower.”
Seo Dong-woo wiped his eyes as if moved. “That maternal love... it even touched the heart of a guy like me. So I decided to remember that woman forever. I never had a mother like that, you see.”
“Shut your mouth, you son of a bitch...!” Shin Su-jin’s voice trembled with rage.
Seo Dong-woo had been caught by the police afterward and sentenced to life in prison. For Shin Su-jin, who had lost her entire family in a single night, that was no consolation. Even when she tried to live as if she’d forgotten, sudden surges of rage were hard to suppress. Once a week, she relived that day in her nightmares.
Then, one day, she became a climber. Hating her own weakness, she climbed the Tower. Climbing, working, climbing—she just lived as the days went by.
When she heard the news that Seo Dong-woo had escaped, what she felt wasn't just anger.
“...Thank you, Seo Dong-woo. For escaping like this.” Shin Su-jin took a deep breath. “Because of you, I finally get to kill you with my own hands.”
Seo Dong-woo smirked. “Ooh, scary. You’re full of confidence, aren't you? Did you bring your colleagues? I didn't check because I figured you’d be smart enough to come alone.”
“A maggot like you is something I can handle by myself.”
With those words, Shin Su-jin leaped. The wooden floorboards cracked under her feet. Seo Dong-woo jumped back, narrowly avoiding her swinging fist.
Shin Su-jin stayed on him, launching a relentless assault. Seo Dong-woo kept retreating, dodging or blocking her strikes.
Shin Su-jin gauged her opponent. Our physical abilities are similar.
That meant he was likely Level 20 as well. Hard Difficulty floors were divided into four-level increments.
Seo Dong-woo, who had been pushed back, threw a punch in counterattack. Shin Su-jin dodged the punch, grabbed his arm, and threw him.
“Whoa!”
Seo Dong-woo’s body flew and slammed into the gymnasium wall. Shin Su-jin’s fists began to glow with a blue light. She rushed in to finish him, throwing a punch, but Seo Dong-woo twisted his body at the last second to dodge.
Boom!
A massive vibration shook the room, and dust rained down from the gymnasium ceiling. Seo Dong-woo, having retreated with quick steps, spoke with a look of surprise.
“That’s it, isn't it? The Strong Qi skill. You’ve got something good there.”
Strong Qi. It was considered a Tier 1 Physical-type skill among the Rare grades.
Shin Su-jin didn't answer and lunged at Seo Dong-woo again. Her offensive grew even more ferocious. Because of the Strong Qi wrapped around her fists, Seo Dong-woo could no longer block and was forced to barely dodge her attacks.
Shin Su-jin was constantly on guard for him to use a skill. At Level 20, he was bound to have at least one Rare-grade skill. But even though he was cornered, he showed no sign of using one. Maybe he was a Magic-type, or maybe it was a passive. In that case, she just had to kill him like this.
“W-wait! Spare me!” As if he’d reached his limit in dodging, Seo Dong-woo cried out desperately.
Shin Su-jin ignored him and pressed harder.
“Spare me! I was wrong! I’ll really repent, I swear!”
One hit was all it would take. She was about to blow his head off—
In that moment, Shin Su-jin realized there was a hint of laughter in Seo Dong-woo’s voice and checked his expression. He was grinning. The desperation from a moment ago was nowhere to be seen.
“Spare me~ I said I was sorry~ Aww~”
Suddenly, Seo Dong-woo’s body moved at a speed far greater than before.
“...!”
Unable to react, Shin Su-jin took a blow to her side and was sent flying. Seo Dong-woo walked over to where she lay on the floor.
“Got your hopes up, didn't you? That was so close~ You almost had me.”
Shin Su-jin scrambled to her feet and backed away. “You...!”
Only then did she realize. He was at a much higher level than 20. He had been toying with her from the very beginning.
“I’ve cleared up to the 7th Floor of Hard Difficulty. That makes me Level 28. Let’s see, you’re probably somewhere in the early 20s?”
Shin Su-jin grit her teeth and lunged again. Seo Dong-woo easily dodged her attack with movements that were completely different from before and kicked her again. Even though she blocked it with her arms, her body was sent bouncing away like a rubber ball.
“What kind of confidence did you have to come here alone with just this much? It’s honestly hilarious.”
“Urgh, ha...”
“‘Thank you, Seo Dong-woo~ I finally get to kill you with my own hands~’ Pfft! What a classic line. I thought we were filming a movie.” Seo Dong-woo chuckled. “Actually, I have another special guest coming. I’ll play with you until then.”
Shin Su-jin staggered to her feet. As soon as she stood, a fist buried itself in her stomach. An agonizing pain from ruptured internal organs washed over her. Seo Dong-woo grabbed her by the throat and lifted her into the air.
“Kehooh...”
“Nothing else? If you have another skill, hurry up and show me~ You can’t go see your mom’s face like this.”
Shin Su-jin glared at him with bloodshot eyes, looking like she wanted to kill him.
Damn... it...
She was so much stronger than back then, yet she was still this helpless. The frustration was maddening. She wanted to tear the monster in front of her to pieces right now, but she didn't have the strength.
As the grip on her throat tightened, her consciousness began to fade.
“Seo Dong-woo.”
Suddenly, an unfamiliar voice cut in. At the entrance of the gymnasium, a man wearing a hoodie was standing there.
Seo Dong-woo looked at him with delight and tossed Shin Su-jin aside. “Oh, you’re here! Saram123!”
Saram123...?
Shin Su-jin coughed and looked at the newcomer. The man looked back and forth between Seo Dong-woo and the fallen Shin Su-jin before asking.
“Who’s she?”
“Ah, her~? She’s nothing. Just a climber who came here to kill me. I was just playing with her until you arrived.” Seo Dong-woo waved his hand dismissively. “Don’t worry about it. Let’s have a nice long chat. First, let me get rid of this bitch...”
The man cut him off. “Chat, my ass.”
“Huh?”
“I came here to kill you, too.”
The man pulled his hands out of his pockets and began to stride forward.