Thugs (1)
Go Cheon-su swung the axe diagonally across his body.
"Gonna make you regret not scrammin' while you had the chance."
There were only three of them. If he didn't have to worry about what came after, there was no way he couldn't handle them.
"Ahaha, kekeke."
The tall guy let out a creepy laugh.
"Can't get it through your thick skull, huh? Same as that Yang Min-cheol punk. Guess that's why you two run together."
He raised the steel pipe threateningly, swinging it around.
"Hey, Min-cheol. For old times' sake, I'll count to three."
His voice dripped with fake mercy as he slowly counted.
"One."
Go Cheon-su gripped the axe tight.
"Two."
Yang Min-cheol still said nothing.
"Three... "
Surprisingly, the tall guy finished counting in a deflated tone and stepped forward quickly. As he raised his arm, the steel pipe pointed high toward the sky.
Clang!
The pipe traced its arc. But it wasn't the tall guy swinging.
"What the—?!"
Go Cheon-su's axe had struck the pipe first.
He charged at the stumbling tall guy and swung the axe again.
Crunch!
"Gaaah!"
The tall guy's forearm sliced open, and he dropped the pipe, staggering back.
"Wh-what?!"
"You bastard!"
The tattooed guys behind him rushed in unison.
Go Cheon-su didn't back down this time either. He charged right at them, swinging the axe wide.
Clang!
The two blocked with their pipes but staggered from the force. Go Cheon-su didn't miss the opening, slashing horizontally across their forearms.
Slash!
"Guh!"
"Gaaah!"
Like the tall guy, the tattooed men dropped their pipes and fell back.
Go Cheon-su walked toward the tall guy again.
"Y-you fuckin'—!"
The tall guy reached for the pipe on the ground.
"What? Fuckin'?"
Go Cheon-su scowled and slammed the axe into the tall guy's shoulder.
"Gek?"
Like a bug impaled on a pin, the tall guy twitched without even screaming and toppled sideways.
"Gek, guh."
"You're kidding me."
Go Cheon-su looked down at the groaning, writhing man.
"All that big talk, and this is what you do."
He hadn't even swung more than a few times. And they were already down.
"Get up."
Go Cheon-su prodded him with his foot.
"Get up. Don't make me clean the floor."
While Go Cheon-su muttered that even as a grunt he was too worthless, the tall guy crawled across the ground and grabbed the pipe.
Whoosh!
He clumsily swung it as he staggered to his feet.
"Sh-shut up, you dog bastard!"
Go Cheon-su sighed at the sight.
"These types always say shut up. Think if I do, you'll get an opening?"
"Shut your trap!"
The tall guy glared at Go Cheon-su with an excited expression.
"You mutt! You know who we are?! You're makin' a huge mistake right now!"
"You know who I am?"
The one and only protagonist of this game stood right there.
"Your thug whining is top-tier. If you're gonna charge, charge. Is that pipe a flag? You just gonna wave it around?"
"Y-you bastard—aaargh!"
Unable to endure the insult, the tall guy charged again.
Go Cheon-su twisted his body to dodge the overhead swing and slashed the axe into the tall guy's thigh.
"Gaaah!"
"Not yet."
Go Cheon-su kicked the collapsing man for good measure.
Clang!
The tall guy dropped the pipe and hit the ground with dramatic flair.
"Y-you bastard!"
"Dieee!"
The tattooed guys, having come to their senses, picked up their pipes and rushed Go Cheon-su again.
No, not this time.
Crunch!
Go Cheon-su swung the axe hard, smashing into the chest of the first tattooed guy.
"Guh?!"
With his chest caved in, he toppled into the second tattooed guy.
"Gaaah!"
The second one flailed in surprise as they fell together.
"Y-you fuck—!"
"Enough with the cursing."
Go Cheon-su muttered down at the pinned second tattooed guy's face.
"You look so damn weak."
"W-wait a sec... "
Crunch!
His words didn't continue. Go Cheon-su pulled out the bloody axe and swung it around, exhaling deeply.
"Hoo."
Not exactly pleasant, but the fatigue was gone for sure. Felt like the stress balls had vanished.
"D-damn...!"
The tall guy, having watched it all, rolled on the ground.
It was so pathetic that Go Cheon-su approached to tell him to cut it out.
"Hey, don't do that. You look pathetic."
"H-heh, haaa!"
The tall guy screamed in terror.
"Get lost! Stay back!"
"What're you saying."
He'd clearly said he was leaving. But now the tall guy was telling him not to.
"Wasn't this what you wanted? If you say no now, what am I supposed to do?"
"Haaa! Go away!"
As Go Cheon-su watched awkwardly, Kim Ha-ryeong approached hesitantly.
"Um, Cheon-su-ssi."
"Yeah."
"Should we treat this guy as a patient or not? He's a bad guy, so it's kinda confusing."
Everything confused her. Go Cheon-su scratched his head and replied.
"Dunno. He's trash, so probably can't switch classes to patient."
The tall guy gasped and sighed at the sight.
"C-crazy bastards... "
Finally realizing he'd poked someone he shouldn't have, the tall guy looked around frantically and spotted Yang Min-cheol.
"M-Min-cheol... "
He called desperately.
"Min-cheol! What're you doing?!"
As Yang Min-cheol met his gaze in surprise, the tall guy pleaded like grabbing a lifeline.
"We're buddies, right?! Talk this psycho down! Hurry!"
"......"
But Yang Min-cheol gave no answer. He just looked down with disgust.
"Huh...?"
The tall guy noticed the shadow over him and slowly turned his gaze.
There stood Go Cheon-su, bloodied axe in hand, eyes wide.
"Haaa! Haaaa!"
"Shut it for a sec."
Go Cheon-su stomped on the tall guy's face.
"Sorry I told you to shut up earlier, but seriously, shut up. What if you attract monsters yelling like this?"
Luckily, no monsters in sight. But he couldn't let the tall guy keep yelling.
Go Cheon-su looked at Yang Min-cheol.
"Min-cheol."
"......"
"Min-cheol?"
"......Yes."
Go Cheon-su asked quietly as Yang Min-cheol finally spoke.
"What's your deal with this guy?"
The viewers weren't saying much, so probably not a named enemy. But definitely bad blood with Yang Min-cheol.
"Well... "
"It's fine, spill. Don't hide it and complicate things."
Yang Min-cheol swallowed hard and slowly opened his mouth.
"H-he's one of the guys I used to hang with."
"Hang with?"
"Yeah. B-but it was just for a bit!"
Yang Min-cheol yelled, worried about misunderstanding.
"I met good people later and went back to school! It was really just a short time!"
"Good people."
Go Cheon-su recalled what Yang Min-cheol had said before.
"The ones who helped you survive?"
"Y-yes!"
"But lookin' at this guy's state, doesn't seem like they'd leave you alone."
Yang Min-cheol's eyes widened in explanation.
"There was a cop among their relatives! They left me alone 'cause it was a hassle!"
A cop. Go Cheon-su thought of Heo Young-woong for no reason and sighed.
"So... "
He ground his foot harder into the tall guy's face.
"No one to help now, so you came crawlin'?"
"W-wait... "
The tall guy grimaced in pain.
"Calm down and talk... "
"Calm my ass. What Min-cheol just said—true?"
"That's... "
Grind!
"Y-yes! It's true!"
Go Cheon-su raised the axe amid the tall guy's mangled scream.
"Bosses, judge him at once. Or make Ten Axes of Judgment. Pick one."
Not the answers to his question. Go Cheon-su sighed and shook his head.
"Sigh, bosses. You're too cruel. Can you just answer what I'm asking?"
Then Jang Seo-yeon approached and asked Go Cheon-su.
"Cheon-su, you gonna kill him?"
"Yeah, looks like it."
"Might be good to ask a few things first."
Jang Seo-yeon looked pretty pissed that the group had been threatened. Go Cheon-su nodded.
"Totally agree."
"Wh-what're you doing! Let me live!"
The tall guy, tied to a nearby street tree with their clothes, trembled and yelled.
Go Cheon-su put a finger to his lips as he looked at him.
"Lower your voice. What if roots come up?"
"Wh-what?"
"You know those monsters too, right? Or nah?"
Ents. Anyone active around here would know.
The tall guy rolled his eyes in fear.
"Th-the sun's up, so it's fine."
"Yeah, you know. But you know the roots are wriggling underground?"
Go Cheon-su said with feigned seriousness.
"If you thrash around tied close like this, those roots come up? Know that?"
The tall guy froze in shock.
Of course it was a lie, but Go Cheon-su brazenly continued.
"So if you wanna live, spill properly. You look easy to drain with those injuries."
"L-live... "
"That guy said the same."
Go Cheon-su's face turned cold.
"The office worker type in the shirt who died."
And the tall guy had smashed his head without mercy.
Checked him out—dead as could be. No need for Kim Ha-ryeong to even try treating.
"Your group kills all the survivors around here?"
"No, that's... "
"First off—your group name, and how many total."
Time to gauge their size. Also to check if they'd send search parties for the tattooed guys.
"We're... "
"Answer quick."
Go Cheon-su said while chopping at an Ent vine with the axe.
"This monster needs nutrients fast when hurt."
"Wh-what're you doing?!"
"Quick."
A few more chops, and the tall guy freaked.
"D-don't!"
"Don't? Should I do you instead?"
"Haaa!"
The group watched Go Cheon-su handle him and exchanged glances.
"Cheon-su's found his true calling."
"Mm... my fault."
"We can heal and threaten. That's how they do prisoners, right?"
Meanwhile, the tall guy confessed to Go Cheon-su.
"I-I'll talk! I'll talk, let me live!"
Bleeding too much already. Terrified he'd die like this, in his delirious state, he answered.
"G-group name's Black Tattoo. Twenty total."
"Including you and the dead ones?"
"Yeah. So let me live."
The tall guy gasped.
"Untie this too. I told you, can't go back anyway."
"Got it. Fine, so what's your goal?"
"Nothin' special."
The tall guy sighed.
"Our truck flipped, just fixing it. Headin' to safe zone soon."
"Sounds legit."
Honestly, didn't care where they went, but overlapping paths was a pain.
"Cool. Got the basics thanks to you. Appreciate it."
Go Cheon-su patted the tall guy's face and turned away. The others followed.
"Huh?"
The tall guy opened his mouth in surprise.
"W-wait! What?! You leavin' me?!"
No response. He yelled desperately.
"Hey!"
"Oh, right."
Go Cheon-su turned back and raised the axe.