Chapter 42
Chapter 42
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: Serial Rampage Incident (5)
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Seoul city. A dingy alley.
In that grim place shrouded in a pungent stench, a ragged middle-aged man clung to the hem of the believer's robe with trembling hands, pleading desperately.
"P-Please... Please, give me the drugs..."
The believer in the black robe silently stared at the man before pulling a small vial of pills from his pocket.
A radiant glow lit up the middle-aged man's face.
"O-Ohhh! P-Please, give them to me."
"What's the price?"
"...The, the price."
The man's eyes were so glazed over that one might mistake him for unconscious.
Drool dribbled from the corners of his mouth, and his nostrils flared wildly.
He frantically rummaged through his pockets and chest, pulling out his wallet only to peer inside and crumple into despair.
Yet, still clinging to his craving for the drugs, the man flashed a grotesque smile and raised a single index finger, begging.
"N-No money. B-But my only daughter..."
"You're selling a person? She's a Wood Person, right?"
"Y-Yes! Of course. I just need the drugs."
Ha. The man let out a hollow laugh and roughly tossed the vial at him.
Pills spilled from the shattered glass, and the man scooped them up, drool pooling as shards embedded in his hands.
"I'll contact you later. Keep your daughter in top condition until then."
"...Hic, heh."
"Answer me."
-Pop.
The robed figure vanished, then kicked the man's body.
Sent flying several meters, the man crawled back toward the pills, coughing violently.
"Ugh, kuhaha! Uheeeek!!"
His outstretched hand was stomped on. The foot ground viciously into it. Blood seeped into the floor.
"Answer."
"Y-Yes, got it."
Hearing the man's reply, the believer snapped his fingers twice. The robe and mask he wore disappeared.
Now an ordinary-looking man, the believer stepped out and glanced back at the alley. The middle-aged man was scrambling away in the opposite direction, clutching his pills.
"Fucking loser."
As the believer spat a self-mocking curse,
"Hey~ Next loser."
A woman who had sneaked up jeered right in his face.
"...Who are you?"
"Aw, you don't know me? We met before, I think."
She feigned genuine shock, widening her eyes dramatically at his casual response.
Black hair, black eyes. Eyes gleaming like obsidian. The woman smirked.
"I'm really disappointed. How could you not know me? Remember me well from now on."
She instantly gathered mana in her hand. The man panicked and donned his robe again.
"Fuck!"
A crescent moon curved at the corner of her mouth as she bellowed at the top of her lungs.
"Anyone who doesn't know the prestigious Blood Tree gets no mercy from me, Simpi!"
Boom!
Her fist shattered his mask and caved in his face perfectly.
The man staggered back several steps, clutching his gushing blood, and summoned mana.
A teleportation magic circle.
"What!?"
But of course, it wouldn't go as he hoped.
To Simpi, who had mastered interference and spatial magic purely out of a desire for attention, a basic teleport was child's play.
"Now do you know who I am?"
"...Simpi!!!!"
"That's right, asshole."
Master of detection.
Communicator.
Daughter of evil.
Simpi cackled as she compressed mana into both hands. The crushed space warped into bizarre shapes.
"Alright, everyone!"
Simpi flashed a grin at the drone hovering in the air.
"Today's V-log is done~"
She activated her magic. The man's body froze as if time had stopped.
"If you like Blood Tree, smash that like button?"
💬 Live Comments — User123 Like! — LolKing I'm dying lololololololol — TalentHater Talent freak. Who even thinks of broadcasting crime busts? — FanGirl88 Damn, solving cases like that is so cool. Gotta be that badass to stream it openly. Satisfied with the reactions, Simpi grinned widely.
The murmurs rippling around her had been overwhelming at first, but now they were nothing.
"Ah, team's here. Time to wrap up and nab this creep? Hearts flying!"
— ByeBye BB! (means hearts) — HaterX Gross attention whore. [Like spammer has been banned.] [Broadcast has ended.] "Stream over? Can I come out now?"
"You really make a show of your face."
"The eldest daughter of the honorable Boxelder family shouldn't appear in trash streams."
"Have fun."
Rosie clicked her tongue mockingly at P, who flipped her off brazenly.
Bob approached from behind Rosie. He had grown to a towering 3 meters, drawing all eyes.
"Bob. Can't you do something about that beanpole height?"
"Me. Bubble not know shrink height. Fight. Always grow bigger."
"...Fine. Sorry."
Smartphone shutters clicked nonstop around them.
Articles would hit tomorrow, no doubt. Something about the Peach Blossom Squad solving the serial Wood Person rampage.
A dozen fainted cultists were slung over Bob's back. None unscathed—they'd die if left like that.
"Bob's a total maniac."
"Gotta admit. Pure combat power rivals Master, maybe?"
Rosie played along with P's joke.
Bob had joined a year ago and was now indispensable in combat.
But rival Baekdo? P shuddered, recalling his movements.
"Beating Baekdo would be crossing the line."
"True."
"Still, pitting him against Hwangdo might make a good match?"
"Dunno. Rumor is Hwangdo angry levels a country."
"For real?"
"Heh heh, take it or leave it."
The two chattered like aunties gossiping over morning dramas.
"What're you two yapping about?"
Hwangdo approached with quick steps, asking. P and Rosie smiled innocently.
"Nothing."
"Yeah? Talk shit and you're dead!"
"Us?"
"Right~ Even P wouldn't badmouth Hwangdo. Can you send these to the torture chamber?"
"Exactly! Leave it to me!"
Hwangdo rolled up her sleeves, mana surging through her body. All nearby cultists vanished.
P clapped, stunned by the instant spatial magic.
"Amazing."
"Hee-heeng!"
Hwangdo puffed up proudly, hands on hips, grinning arrogantly.
"Torture 'em for the hideout, smash it, done."
"Right? Hey Simpi, checked for suicide spells and hidden poisons?"
"Who do you think I am? Obviously."
They were elites.
A few casualties, sure, but they'd never failed a mission.
Rosie wiped the floor with magic, grumbling.
"This makes how many? Seventh Flower case."
"Yeah. That thing with the junior—wasn't it a Flower branch?"
P muttered darkly, scraping blood from her shoes with a sour face.
"Society's trash."
Flower.
A massive terror group aiming to uproot class systems and topple the world order.
Their underworld grip fueled petty, vicious acts.
Drug trafficking and hits for funding their 'great cause'? Absurd.
Yet even with World Association and Wood Person Church raging, they evaded capture for good reason.
They wielded World Tree power. Lately targeting the Five Great World Trees' throats.
Even combat ace Baekdo couldn't solo their executives.
Baekdo said taking one down meant all-or-nothing resolve.
Terrorists that strong? No wonder World Trees couldn't act.
Their power had waned long ago anyway.
"Feels like something big's brewing."
Everyone fell silent at P's uneasy words.
She was right.
If all Flower execs hit one spot? Few could hold.
None, thought P.
"It's fine!"
Hwangdo raised her voice to lighten the mood.
"Sis'll handle it!"
P and Rosie chuckled at her cute outburst.
Something rolled into their shoes.
A pure white vial pulsing with obvious energy.
Mendell.
A growth aid for World Trees, but a tweak turned it into a Wood Person superweapon poison.
Rosie pondered it.
A Wood Person overdosing... they'd be a monster by now.
-Kyaaaaah!
A scream tore through the air from somewhere, shredding vocal cords.
*****
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ As San Su-yu and I exited the theater.
"Waaahhh."
A little girl sat sobbing in a corner of the shopping street.
I rushed over and offered my hand.
"You okay?"
"Daddyyy, huwaaa."
"Shh, calm down."
The girl showed no sign of stopping.
Onlookers whispered, eyeing me suspiciously. Sweating bullets, I yelled.
"Anyone her parents!?"
Clearing my name, I tried soothing her again.
"C-Calm down."
"Hic, huuuh. Waaah."
"Want some snacks?"
"Huuwaaa!"
Damn kid... Never dealt with this. Usually, a pretty girl bounces 'em on her knee or whatever.
I glanced pleadingly at San Su-yu. She remained expressionless.
'No way she'd handle this.'
No choice. I gathered mana in my hand.
"Look here."
"Hic, waaah."
"Rabbit!"
Flames danced atop my hand into a rabbit. Even I was impressed—near-perfect mana control.
The girl calmed a bit, staring blankly.
"Hic, huh?"
"Where's your dad?"
"...Dunnooo. Waaah."
How'd it come to this?
Couldn't ignore her. I ditched the mask, flashing a bright smile.
"Huu, huuuh. Shin Chae-rin...!"
A man came running from afar.
"Daddy?"
The girl beamed at his call, but her tiny face twisted again.
"Hic, Daddy, what's wrong? Hurts?"
She burst into tears anew.
Blood streaked his forearm. Dark circles ringed his eyes.
His wrinkled shirt, as creased as his face, screamed burnout.
Onlookers stared like he was a freak.
-Gurgle, gurrgle.
"Daughter, my daughter...! Hic, heh. Chae-rin! Finally got the drugs!"
Eerie rumble from his lower abdomen.
Mana grazed his skin.
Eyes bloodshot red.
Tree roots sprouted vividly beneath his shoes.
I stepped in front of the panicking girl.
"...San Su-yu."
"Yeah."
"Cover the kid's eyes."
No longer human, the Wood Person screeched grotesquely.
"Found you at last."