Mission: Yeon Yeop
Yeon Un-jae was unconsciously clawing at the leather seat with his nails. This habit had already worn through and torn the upholstery three times, forcing replacements, yet it was proving impossible to break.
Once lost in thought, he couldn't care less what his fingers were up to.
And right now, that was especially true.
He wouldn't even mind buying a brand-new Maybach if it meant solving this problem.
'Taking that kid on as a client was a decision I'll come to regret.'
Leaning back against the rear seat of the luxury sedan, Yeon Un-jae let out a long sigh.
'The plan to drive a wedge between Choi Min-su and the rising faction following him is progressing smoothly, but the issue is... that Kim Jun punk. I have no idea what kind of guy he really is. That was definitely Po-noe Strike... Could my brother really still be alive? Given his hot-tempered nature, the odds are slim...'
'Hah, what a unpredictable bastard. He attracts every damn mishap imaginable. If even the lockdown was because of him... I might have to rethink the entire plan.'
The Association's official statement on the lockdown trigger was a villain intrusion—unrelated to the awakening tests. But Yeon Un-jae didn't buy it.
Glistening high-rises came into view.
In truth, with Choi Min-su personally showing up to pressure the Association, Yeon Un-jae had no need to step in himself.
However, if Kim Jun was involved, he needed to put on some show as a joint patron. Otherwise, rumors of him being a "heartless old miser" would spread through gossip columns and media outlets.
Yeon Un-jae had first dispatched the Yeonmu Corps to scout the situation.
Yeon Bong-geun, newly appointed leader of the Yeonmu Corps just yesterday, approached the Maybach's rear window.
The window slid down.
Yeon Bong-geun bowed to the Yeon family patriarch before delivering his report.
"Team Leader Choi Min-su has entered the Association building."
"The Association? What does that mean?"
"It seems he spotted a villain. He suddenly shouted and smashed through the barrier to get inside."
Yeon Un-jae sat speechless for a moment, mouth agape.
Then laughter burst out.
The Choi Min-su of his youth might've done something like that, but the man now called the pillar of Cheonhondan? Unthinkable.
"What should we do?"
Yeon Bong-geun's question carried the implication that the Yeonmu Corps should enter the Association as well.
He couldn't pass up this golden opportunity.
As Yeon Un-jae moved to issue the entry order, his pocket phone buzzed. Checking the unfamiliar number, he frowned.
This wasn't a line just anyone could call.
"Hello."
―Long time no see.
"...Is that you, Gyu-pil?"
To Yeon Un-jae, Maeng Gyu-pil was a painful mistake—a past he'd rather erase.
―You still remember my voice. As expected of my master.
"You know the Investigation Bureau is after you, right?"
―Of course. I'm well aware.
A sly, smug tone.
"If you want to turn yourself in, I could help."
―Hahaha!
Maeng Gyu-pil's manic laughter filled the spacious car interior.
Yeon Un-jae's eyebrows shot up.
'This guy's gotten stronger. His internal energy is much deeper now. Even on the run, he's kept up his training properly. But... why call me now?'
―Curious why I'm calling?
"Heh, reading minds from afar, are we?"
Yeon Un-jae had always regretted wasting Maeng Gyu-pil's talents—not just in martial arts, but his uncanny knack for reading people. He'd been certain the man could elevate the Yeon family's status.
―I know you well, Master. I'll get straight to it. I... killed someone.
Yeon Un-jae went still. Only after a moment did he remember to breathe.
―Shocked, huh?
"We playing riddles now?"
―Bingo! As expected. These past few days, I've killed two people. Both deserved to die.
"And you want me to figure out why?"
―Too easy. They're both Association employees. But that's not the point. You know about the lockdown at Association HQ, right?
Yeon Un-jae closed his eyes.
―That was my doing.
The answer he'd half-expected.
Maeng Gyu-pil's murders weren't surprising.
The problem was killing Association staff... and triggering this lockdown? That meant the intruding villain was Maeng Gyu-pil himself.
If word got out, Cheonhondan—no, the Yeon family—would suffer a devastating blow.
Above all, he'd have to step down as patriarch.
For the Yeon family to survive, Maeng Gyu-pil had to die. Yeon Un-jae reached the conclusion instantly.
"You've crossed the line."
―I crossed it long ago.
"You know what you just admitted?"
―A death sentence, probably.
Maeng Gyu-pil sounded calm.
"From now on, the Yeonmu Corps will hunt you down with everything we've got. You know they're on a different level from Association investigators. So why call?"
Only sporadic breaths came through—no words. They grew shorter, rougher.
―M-Master!
A sudden cry from his disciple.
"I'm listening."
―K-Kill me... please! I c-can't control it. I hold back, but suddenly the urge to kill surges, and I have to! Better Association scum than anyone. S-So rather than getting caught... die by your hand... or the Yeonmu Corps... Please, kill me!
"Understood."
Yeon Un-jae hung up and sat motionless.
Among the disciples he'd raised, Maeng Gyu-pil was the smartest, strongest, boldest.
That desperate plea for death—was it genuine? Or a ploy to hide ulterior motives?
"What a shame. Even I'm second-guessing now. Whichever it is, we'll find out once we catch and interrogate him."
Yeon Un-jae turned to Yeon Bong-geun, waiting outside for orders.
The Association entry took a backseat.
"Find Maeng Gyu-pil."
"Understood."
Yeon Bong-geun bowed and retreated. The Maybach glided away from the Association.
Seo Yunhyeong rattled the iron bars.
The grating, embedded deep into floor and ceiling, didn't budge. He nearly laughed in futility. He'd spent his life shoving lawbreakers into places like this—now here he was, locked up himself.
Regret flooded in.
If he'd just confessed his crimes, his family might've been spared. Instead, he'd gambled on a hazy "maybe." Could he still approach the coordinator now to protect them?
Why had he rejected the offer?
He hadn't wanted to bow to a slime like Ma Jung-hyeon, but the real reason ran deeper.
Ju Shin was Korea's mightiest organization.
Larger than most corporations, intertwined with politics—rumor had it no one became president without their backing. Few problems escaped their grasp.
Yet one lowly carrier had thrown their plans into disarray, forcing the "shadow strategist" Ma Jung-hyeon to the forefront.
Kim Jun had drawn him out.
Blissfully unaware, no doubt.
Seo Yunhyeong slumped into the corner. Entrusting his fate to an awakening test hopeful from carrier stock felt pathetically desperate now.
He didn't trust Kim Jun himself.
He trusted the kid's luck.
Luck overrode any skill, bending the world's currents in unimaginable ways. Unquantifiable by data, it reshaped reality for those it favored.
Its greatest flaw? No one knew when it might run out.
The fortune lighting your path yesterday could vanish without reason today.
What if the heavenly fortune that had aided Kim Jun so far... didn't stir this time?
"Damn... me, banking on that..."
A footstep drew his gaze. A guard in a deep-brimmed cap approached.
Seo Yunhyeong tensed.
'Assassin?'
Ma Jung-hyeon was ruthless enough. Dead men told no tales—easy to frame. But he dismissed it quickly.
Ma wouldn't dispose of him so cleanly.
He'd drag him to court, parade him through humiliations and mockery. Expose his family to media frenzy, teaching the cost of defiance.
"Director."
The guard looked up.
"You?"
"What crime did you commit, anyway?"
Bang Su-cheol grinned.
"How'd you get in?"
Bang briefly explained slipping in with Uramata Guild.
Seo Yunhyeong looked like he'd been clubbed from behind.
"Who's pulling the strings?"
"Ma Jung-hyeon."
"Whoa, if the Planning Coordinator's involved... Ju Shin's gone all-in."
"How's the Investigation Bureau holding up?"
"Chaos. Two deputy directors jockeying for your spot to impress Ju Shin, section chiefs blocking each other for promotions."
"All my fault."
"Yep. Your fault, Director. You didn't swing the sword when you should've."
Bang stabbed at the sore spot.
Seo Yunhyeong glared.
A detective who'd nearly been booted from the bureau multiple times for taking bribes.
Yet even his detractors acknowledged his animal instincts and brilliant deductions in catching perps—Bang Su-cheol, veteran investigator.
Suppressing his anger, the director exhaled and approached the bars.
"Can you help me?"
Bang flinched, surprised.
"Only way to do anything, right?"
"Scouting me? Gotta hear the salary offer first."
Bang chuckled good-naturedly.
"I'll think about it. But first, bigger fish to fry."
"Find the Mobile Strike Team."
"Already did."
"Good. What's the plan?"
"Break the law."
An unexpected reply. A lawman turning criminal? Bang was capable, but what exactly?
"Do as you see fit."
"Thanks."
Bang pulled his cap low and exited the security holding cell.
For the first time since his arrest, Seo Yunhyeong felt at ease.
The Jackknife, repelled by the Cheonroegeom, arced wide before hurtling back even faster.
Kim Jun envisioned Spitera enveloping it. Earth clung thickly to the pocketknife's surface.
The second image: Spitera morphing into a hand shape. Sure enough, the dirt formed a fist, slowing the blade.
'Now!'
Kim Jun raised the Cheonroegeom like an axe splitting logs, smashing down.
Sparks flashed brilliantly.
The tiny knife bounced off the floor, slammed into the wall—unscratched. Regaining power, it floated up and zipped about.
Kim Jun eyed its owner.
Ju Shin's dealer.
He'd long admired Ju Shin, Korea's top guild of elite raiders. Today, that illusion shattered. Just a pack of thugs flexing muscle.
Old memories resurfaced.
Endless challenges because his dad was a raider. To delinquents, Kim Jun was an easy mark for fame.
Even model students shunned him coldly—he understood their fear of ostracism.
What hurt most? The teachers' attitudes.
Homeroom, student affairs head, vice principal—all attacked with glares and words.
"Must be something you did to make them act that way."
From them, he learned brutally: he wasn't a student—he was a raider's son. Maybe that's why he started half-killing anyone who touched him.